Plate and preparation of plate for electrotyping



July 10, 1928. 1,676,658

w. .1. MAGINNIS PLATE AND PREPARATION OF PLATE FOR ELECTROTYPING v Filed Nov. 7, 1924 s Sheets-Sheet 1 July 10, 1928. 1,676,658

W. J- MAGINNIS I PLATE AND PREPARATION OF PLATE FOR ELECTROTYPING Filed Nov. 7, i924 '3 Sheets-Sheet 2 F15 7 1&7 7

L I 16 g V mm. R W m A/ 27 209+; -21 w j y mu 1 l l l I L lk 7a z/ July' 10, 1928.

' W. J. MAGINNIS PLATE AND PREPARATION OF PLATE FOR ELECTROTYRING Filed Nov. 7, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented July 10, 1928.

warren STATES PArEiar orriciz.

WILLIAM MAGINNIS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO ROYAL" ELECTROTYPE COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

PLATE AND PREPARATION OF PLATE FOR ELECTROTYPING.

Application filed November 7, 1924'. Serial No. 748,434.

My invention relates to preparing pattern plates for clectrotypes that, preparatory for use in printing, are to be used with the Mc- Kee overlay process. In this process the portions of the plate which are intendedto print shadows are altered lIlpOSltlUIl with respect to the remaining surface of the plate so as relatively to project from the face of the printing plate. This is accomplished by overlays of sheets of papers on the front of the high-light parts of the plate, preferably with underlays upon the back of the plate immediately back of the shadows. The

plate is heated and pressed resulting in a distortion of the plane, brmging the shadows forward or forcing the high-lights back, whichever view may be taken of it, usually doing both and yielding a plate which Wlll print with less pressure upon the paper than would otherwise be the case.

l Vhen electrotypes arejintended for use with the McKee overlay process blank or non-printing portions of the plate must init-ia'lly be original half tone height and these portions after the plate has been used in the McKee process must be routed down to below the printing surface before the plate can be used forprinting. The height varies with printers; two heights used, among others, being .063 and .048.

The purpose of my invent-ion is to provide mediate non-printing portions about thesecuts and electrotypes.

A further purpose is to increase the strength of the pattern and to reduce the requisite-skill and time of manufacture.

A further purpose is to provide easy means for accurately positioning the original cuts and electrotypes of printed matter in the pattern by having lines of reference showing upon the bottom of the mould.

A further purpose is to avoid the necessity of engraving trimming hues and register markson the surfaces of the bearers (blank border about the cuts and electrotypes, rout-- ed down before they plate can be used for printing) by suitably marking the cover of the mould. I

A further purpose is to fill out low regions" of the cuts and electrotypes enclosed within the pattern during the casting operation, connecting these low regions within the cuts and elect-rotypes to the border portion of the mould through registering holes and grooves at the bottom or low in .the mould. For egample, in the low region of a cut, a hole can be made through the cut to the bottom of the mould, and a groove can be extended from it to the border region of the mould, the groove being either in the bottom of the mould or in the bottom of the cut or electrotype. I y Further purposes will appear in thespecification and in the claims.

My invention. relates both/to the process" involved and to the plateproduced.

Ordinary type will not withstand the pressure of'lead moulding to which the pattern .is sub ected when making the negative for the electrotype, .so'that,,heavy shell wax process electrotypes of printed matter for the pattern must' be made from the "type form. The electrotypes are backed andthen shaved to the, same thickness as the original cuts with which they are to be'us-ed, this thickness being normally .063 inches. Non-printing portions of both cutand electrotype to within inch of the printing surface are everywherefilled out to original half tone height.

A simple electroplate will contain headline, folio, and illustration and a piece of type matter and prior to my lllVBIltlOnWVhfi-Ell the plate is to be used in the McKee proc'essa 5 before use in printing, the pattern plate from which the electrotype negative is tobe lead mouldedhas been prepared asv fol lows An electrotype-metal sheet several inches larger than the-printing surface desired, is

shaved to the thickness of the original illustration half .tone or other out (normally .063 inches). The zinc cut, line cut or half tone plate and the electrotypes of the headline, folio, and type matter are properly positioned upon the sheet and the positions of the plate and each electrotype are marked by scribing. The sheet is then cut out along the scribed lines and the cut and electrotypes are fitted into the openings and are soldered to the plate by means of soldering iron, flux and solder, the edges of the openings being routed to form grooves too narrow to interfere with the make-ready. All of the soldered joints are carefully leveled that no depression or raised portion may ap pear on the pattern and later on in the electroplate. Trimming lines and register marks, for use in the overlay process, are then engraved on the surface of the bearers, to appear ultimately on the electroplate.

In this preliminary process, differing from plain ele'ctrotyping in the presentation of a substantially complete full height surface, a

"great deal of time, attention and skill are required; and often with that the personal equation enters considerably, inthat the accuracy of the cutting of the openings, the uniformity or lack of iiiifoi'iiiity of the soldering temperature, the proper cleansing of the surfaces for soldering, all affect the strength as well as the accuracyof the resultant plate.

The same method is used whether therebe' I one or more than one original illustration cut, and one or more than one electrotype block of type, for insertion, the work being correspondingly greater with an increase in the number of inserts.

My invention avoids the need for shaving the blank bearer sheet to the thickness of the original cut, the need for scribing and mortising holes in the sheet, of soldering the insertsto place with careful leveling of the soldered joints, avoids the need for engraving trimming lines and register marks upon the surface'of the bearers, avoids any material increase in the work with an increase inv the number of inserts, and moreover materially lessens the requisite quantity ofbearei' metal that must be kept ready to meet a given daily output of patterns.

In the drawings similar numerals refer to like parts in all figures.

Figure 1 is a top plan View of the lower portion of the divided mould.

Figures 2 and 8 are sections of Figure 1 taken respectively upon the lines 22 and bottom plan view of the Figure 9 is a section of Figure 8 taken upon the line 9-9.

Figures 10 and 11 are top plan views of the pattern as removed from the mold, that in Figure 11 being routed about the cuts and electrotypes.

Figures 12 and 13 are sections of Figure 11 taken upon the lines 1212 and 13-13.

Figure 14 is a top plan View to reduced scale illustrating the procedure used to fill in a hollow ithin the cut.

Figure15 a section of Figure 14L upon line 1515 thereof' Similar numerals'indicate like parts in the drawings. p

Describing in illustration and not in limitation and referring to the drawings By my process the cuts which are intended to beinco'rporated in the plate are placed in a metal mold of original half tone height, having bottom 16 and'cover 17 intended for die casting. The printing surfaces 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 are coated with whiting to prevent the metal to be cast from flowing into the spaces within their surfaces which are not of full height because non-printing surfaces and which are not of sufhcient area to justify forcing them to the level of the printing surface.

The placing of the cuts'is facilitated by a scale in the form of squares or other markings shown at 23 in the bottom of the die casting mold and markings such as trim ming lines. Registermarks intended tobe placed uniformly upon these preliminary plates or'uponthe electrotypes made from them may be cut into or marked upon the inner faceof the cover as at 24 25; Y The plates 1822of any desired number and including all of the varieties of cuts and plates which could be incorporated by the prior method and properly cleaned to provide good contact surfaces are coated at their edges with soldering flux and are placed in their proper positions. The cover is then clamped on to keep the mold closed about the edges and at the same time to clamp the plates in the position in which they have been set. This maybe effected preferably by making the cover plate stiff enough to hold the parts in the position set and at the same time to bring the cover effectively against the edges of the bottom part of the mold about the opening. In determining the height of the edges of the bot tom part relative to height of the plate-high cuts the coating of whiting over the printing surfaces of the cuts must be considered, to clamp the cuts finally and seal.

The same effect could be produced by the use of a more flexible cover with clamps about the edges and with clamps engaging the cover and bottom on opposite side-:5 ofthe cuts at the points of insertion.

I have shown conventional rorms of clamp 26 embracing the cover along approximately the middle of the sides of the mold and cover.

After the mold has been clamped shut with the plates in position it and the plates are heated to a temperature high enough to prevent chilling of the metal poured so as to insure thorough distribution of the metal throughout the spaces intended for it.

The temperature to which the mold is heated preferably approximates the pouring temperature of the metal poured. This metal may be the same as the metal from which the border was made in the process as formerly practised and is preferably of the same general character as stereotype metal.

The hot metal is then poured into the mold and forms a complete union with the cuts or plates just as in the case of soldering, except that it is much more complete and uniform, corresponding with perfect soldering at the right temperature done 00- incidently about the entire surface.

Though this is not essential, I prefer to cast the metal 27 solidly up against the edge of the printing surface of the plates as seen in Figure 10 and afterward rout out the narrow groove 28 adjoining the plate which is desired for the carrying out of the McKee process, rather than to attempt to fill in the spaces represented by this groove about the plate with whiting or other material before the casting so as to avoid this cutting operation. For this reason I have illustrated the finished plate as having the groove about each cut or plate and cut the groove by any suitable tool as by a routing cutter after the completion of the casting operation. It will also contain the reverse 24, 25 of the markings 24, 25 upon the cover 17.

\Vhere the outline of any cut completely surrounds the depressed non-printing surfaceas in Figures 14 and 15 and it is desired to cast metal within this enclosed printing surface to fill up the non-printing space, I accomplish this in my process by cutting openings 29 through the back of the plate at several points so as to permit flow of molten metal freely through these several grooves into the non-printing depression of the plate,

Passages for outlet of air from the plate may be provided at 30 and the openings formed at 29 as above should be selected with a view to permitting the enclosed air to escape from the interior of the surrounded non-printing space. The opening within the plate must be deep enough below the printing surface to avoid danger of disturbing the printing surface.

In operation, the plates to be incorporated are rested on the flat bottom of the body portion of the mould (as distinguished from the cover) in the relation to each other and to the border which they are to bear in the completed plate. Solderingflux is applied to the edges preferably before they are placed. The cover of the mould is then put in place and the mould bottom and cover sections unites with the edges of the plates to form a thorough mechanical. (soldered) union. Whatever markmgs have been placed upon the insideof the mould face of the cover will appear in reverse upon the completed casting.

It will be evident that the plate insert or inserts within the mould may be regarded singly ortogether as forming a plate make up of full height.

In view of my disclosure, various modifications and changes in my invention to suit individual whim or the needs of variant service will occur to those skilled in the art and it is my purpose to include herein all such as lie within the reasonable spirit and scope of my claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A mould having a body section carrying indices balanced on opposite sides of the .center to assist in accurately setting plates therein, having a top adapted to mould bearers the height of original half tone plates about the plates and open along an edge for the receipt of molten metal.

2. A casting mould separable along lines substantially parallel with the printing surface and spaced between parallel cover and body casting faces by the height. of an original half tone plate, to clamp printing plates between them and having space between the faces outside of the position of the printing plates within which bearers of the same height are cast about the plates.

3; A mould body having raised sides and open along one edge for receipt of molten metal, in combination with a cover sealing therewith about the sides, spaced internally from the bottom between the sides to the height of original half tone plates, plates secured within the mould in the positions which they are to occupy in a composite printing plate and solderingfluX-upon the edges of the plates. i i

4. A mould body having raised sides and open along one edge for receipt of molten metal in combination with a cover sealing therewith about the sides, spaced internally from the bottom between the sides to the height of original half tone plates and adapted to receive plates, solder-fluxing for the edges of the plates, the plates being located Within the mould in the positions which they are to occupy in a composite printing plate and the interior of enclosing printing surface upon aplate being connected with the space for molten metal in the mould by a passage extending beneath the printing surface.

5; The method of casting material of fullplate height about printing plates and incorporating them in a composite plate which consists in placing the plates in their predetermined relation upon a mould Wall, fluxing the edges of the plates, protecting small non-printing surfaces by filling them in, c0ncurrently protecting the surfaces from the molten metal and clampingthe plates in position by a second mould Wall, spaced from the first and pouring molten metal between the two Walls and about the plates While closing the edges of actual printing 1 

